The invention relates to an apparatus for applying fluent material, such as optionally foamable substances of differing viscosity, coating substances, varnishes, adhesives, pastes, etc., to a substrate, such as a web of material. The material is applied with a pressing part that engages a substrate with a magnetic device for operating the pressing part. Such an apparatus is used for flat stencil printing, round stencil applications and/or for stencil-free, full-surface applications. The application width of the pressing part can be several meters. As a function of the intended use, it is possible to carry out patterning applications (printing) and/or full-surface applications (e.g. impregnation, coating, dyeing, varnishing).
Squeegee devices are known (DE-AS 1 135 856), in which a magnetizable doctor can be magnetically pressed against a magnetic beam or bar extending with the doctor below and along the substrate path. It is also known to provide on the back of a sheet spreading doctor a magnetizable strip fixed to the doctor over the application width, so that by means of the strip the doctor can be pressed against a substrate by the magnetic force of a magnetic beam or bar (DE-OS 34 19 590). In yet another squeegee device (DE-OS 25 44 784), a squeegee or doctor roller can be magnetically pressed onto the back of a separately arranged profile strip spaced from the rolling surface of said roller. It is always necessary for the magnetic pressing of the doctor within a printing press to provide a machine-stationary magnetic beam, which is optionally connected via a machine frame to the bearing of the doctor. The magnetizable mass of the doctor or a support part non-detachable connected in one-piece manner thereto must be designed in accordance with the size of the desired magnetic force to be produced. This leads to relatively large application machines, which must be specially designed for each application type and must be designed and constructed with adapted components.